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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — shares
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. swing — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — a trail

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