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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · scale · content · temple · fine · stock · straw · lash

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. scale — in music
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — goods
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bat — the animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — shares
  24. temple — side of the head

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