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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: press · stock · lash · mine · chip · ground · shower · wake

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ground — the earth
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — shares
  17. ground — a position
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — goods
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — to eat

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