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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to click
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — ground
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — to come down
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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