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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — a gift
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — shares
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the fish
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — there
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — of your body

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