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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: stock · stick · spring · lash · file · dip · bass · press

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — the season
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — to push
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — goods
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — newspapers

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