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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · scale · squash · bulb · stock · lash · mine · hand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. scale — size or range
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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