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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — a break
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — goods
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pit — in a race

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