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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: stock · lash · hide · sharp · ground · squash · face · jam

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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