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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: lie · stock · lash · swing · bat · ball · object · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ball — a dance
  12. object — to protest
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stock — goods
  23. ball — a great time
  24. swing — music

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