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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: nail · snap · stock · calf · lash · wave · pitch · fine

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — high quality
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — shares

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