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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 116 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — goods
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — a division
  14. bound — certain
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cell — a phone

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