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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 124 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ground — crushed
  15. clip — a video
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — a position
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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