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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — the time now
  7. mate — a friend
  8. present — there
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — a thing
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. present — a gift
  24. object — to protest

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