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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: net · drill · mug · firm · stock · lash · pitcher · face

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — shares
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — goods
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. firm — steady
  17. mug — to rob
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a face

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