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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · lash · swing · rest · file · temple · pitcher · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a line of people
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — a break
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a document
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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