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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — shares
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bound — certain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. game — a kind of play

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