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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — a container
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — for sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — goods
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  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