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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fine — high quality
  4. root — the cause
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — all right
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — goods
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rash — a series
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — child

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