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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 120 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: pitcher · mug · hide · stock · cabinet · squash · fine · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a face
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — to rest against

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