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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — electric
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — of water

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