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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stock — goods
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. row — a line
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. row — to paddle

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