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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. game — a match
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. toast — bread
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — to move gently

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