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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: bound · mate · squash · stock · roll · patient · stick · lash

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. roll — a list
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — the vegetable

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