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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: scale · snap · rest · swing · lash · pit · stock · chest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — in a race
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — goods
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stock — shares
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chest — a box
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — in golf

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