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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — an aim
  10. swing — music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. object — a thing
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. object — to protest
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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