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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pass — a permit

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