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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.

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: spell · bass · foot · wound · lash · nail · wind · stock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spell — magic
  24. wound — an injury

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