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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: lash · pop · lie · bay · cold · bass · rock · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — goods
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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