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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · mark · lash · row · clip · bear · shower · stock

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — goods
  7. row — a line
  8. stock — shares
  9. clip — to cut
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — to breed
  19. clip — a video
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — for paper

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