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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — money
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. capital — a city
  24. stock — goods

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