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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ground — a position
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — to be able to

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