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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — a committee
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — ground
  24. stock — goods

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