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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — the time now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — to be able to
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. land — a country
  19. mug — a face
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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