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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — for pool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. cue — a signal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stock — goods
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to click

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