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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bat — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. sharp — clever
  21. content — the amount
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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