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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: nail · foot · mine · stock · dip · squash · cold · lash

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. cold — an illness
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — to crush

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