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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — farmland
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — to eat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — for sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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