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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — wild animals
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. kid — to tease
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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