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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — shares
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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