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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: snap · stock · pitch · lash · press · chip · wax · patient

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stock — shares
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stock — goods

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