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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fine — all right
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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