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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · cue · saw · stick · lash · stock · row · squash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — low music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a signal
  22. row — to paddle
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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