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

Word bank: lash · stock · racket · kick · patient · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — shares
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — goods
  18. kick — a thrill

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