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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: sharp · lash · lean · date · mug · shower · stock · chair

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — to wash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — goods

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