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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: squash · can · rash · kick · stock · arm · sharp · bear

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stock — goods
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — shares
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. squash — the sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — on the skin

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