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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — a container
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — a tin

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