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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — steady
  24. file — a line of people

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