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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — on a finger

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