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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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