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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: hide · swing · stock · bear · key · lash · bound · drill

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — to put up with

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