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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — of the year
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stock — goods

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