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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: mug · mate · key · stock · pop · lash · wind · sharp

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — shares
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stock — goods
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. mug — to rob

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