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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — to rip
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — goods
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hand — help
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — shares
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rule — government

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