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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. toast — bread
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. scale — in music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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