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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — a phone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — an eyelash

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