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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bat — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stock — goods
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — in cards

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