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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — a hint
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rest — a break
  24. wake — before a funeral

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