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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. land — to come down
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — in music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — a country
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. swing — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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