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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 116 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: branch · sharp · stick · hand · stock · mouse · squash · lash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — shares
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  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