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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bound — certain
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stock — shares
  20. swing — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — a publisher

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