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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — in music
  5. object — a thing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — an aim
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — a practice
  24. temple — side of the head

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