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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — shares
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. season — in sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rule — government
  20. firm — a company
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — a law
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — to lash out

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