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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a face
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stock — shares
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — the cause

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