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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — a gift
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — there
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kid — child
  24. stand — to bear

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