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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — of a king
  6. rash — a series
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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