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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: cap · bowl · stock · object · lash · lean · shower · present

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. object — a thing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — goods
  8. lean — to bend
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — to protest
  17. present — there
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — shares
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — the time now
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a hat

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