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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. deal — a big deal

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