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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · rest · hand · march · stock · firm · swing · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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