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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — shares
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. row — a line
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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