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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: stick · pitcher · hide · ground · spring · stock · lash · file

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — goods
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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