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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kid — child
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stock — shares
  16. mark — a grade
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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