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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stock — goods
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stock — a soup base

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