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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. patient — a sick person

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