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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com