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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · current · chest · stock · toast · foot · lash · bass

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. current — happening now
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chest — a box
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. toast — bread

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