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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: wave · stock · mug · wound · pitcher · shower · lash · pop

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a cup
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — goods
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — soda
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — to visit
  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