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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: lash · stock · object · squash · present · season · mate · plane

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — to crush
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — goods
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — a thing
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — shares
  20. plane — a tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — an aim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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