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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: saw · lash · rush · squash · cabinet · stock · cue · wound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — to crush
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — an eyelash

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