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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — certain
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bound — tied together

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