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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mug — a face
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — shares
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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