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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.

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: wave · lie · stock · bat · cue · row · lash · season

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — a line
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stock — a soup base
  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