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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. march — the month
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a grade

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