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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. stock — shares
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. last — final
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. season — in sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — in sport
  23. last — finally
  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