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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a word
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stock — shares
  22. shower — rain
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — to wash

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