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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.

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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: stock · present · nail · stand · lash · stick · cold · mug

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — there
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — the time now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. present — a gift
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a face
  24. lash — to lash out

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