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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: snap · jam · mark · land · lash · stock · squash · wave

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — a country
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — to crush
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — to come down

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