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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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