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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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