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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: suit · lash · pop · file · stock · row · press · sharp

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pop — to visit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. file — a document
  9. pop — soda
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — shares
  13. press — newspapers
  14. file — a tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. suit — in cards
  22. file — a line of people
  23. press — to push
  24. row — a line

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