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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — a company
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a ring
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stock — goods
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bound — tied together

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