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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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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: last · stock · wound · bass · leaves · rush · squash · coach

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — shares
  3. last — finally
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. bass — low music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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