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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — government
  17. stock — shares
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stock — a soup base

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