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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — a container
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — to crush
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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