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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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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: saw · mate · roll · stock · stick · lash · snap · perch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — a partner
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stock — a soup base

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