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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 116 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: stock · wave · spell · degree · chair · lash · content · firm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — the amount
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — magic
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — letters
  23. chair — a leader
  24. firm — decided

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