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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. land — ground
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a signal
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — to come down
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — for pool
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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