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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.

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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: patient · hand · rest · pass · arm · squash · stock · mug

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mug — a face
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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