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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — a handicraft

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