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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. roll — a list
  21. row — a line
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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