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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stock — shares
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — a place of worship

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