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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: squash · wake · stock · trunk · hide · branch · lash · firm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — shares
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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