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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a document
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. file — a line of people

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