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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: lash · cabinet · bark · squash · jam · chip · stock · wake

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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