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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a document
  24. hand — part of the 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