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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 120 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: pop · stock · swing · fine · lash · cell · bear · temple

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — shares
  21. fine — all right
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pop — soda

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