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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: stock · drill · toast · court · shower · patient · lash · squash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — rain
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — of a king
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stock — goods
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — to crush
  23. court — of law
  24. lash — to lash out

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