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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: foot · lash · wind · hide · sharp · stock · pop · deal

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — soda
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — to keep secret

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