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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.

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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: lash · stick · squash · dip · last · current · stock · race

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — finally
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to sink
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. last — final
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — a contest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — to go on

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