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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — shares
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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