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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to click
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rock — music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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