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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. shower — rain
  24. fork — to eat with

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