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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: coach · lash · wave · bark · calf · content · pitcher · stock

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. content — the amount
  21. bark — to shout
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — with your hand

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