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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — shares
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stock — goods
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. march — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — hurry

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