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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 · net · season · squash · rash · fine · lash · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — of the year
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. season — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. squash — to crush
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. season — to add flavour

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