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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: fan · cabinet · ground · dip · wave · lash · cap · stock

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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