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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — goods
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rock — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  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