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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — in cards
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hand — help
  24. straw — dry grass

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