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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — of a king
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — for sport
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. chair — a leader
  24. clip — for paper

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