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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: rush · chip · stock · bulb · lash · fall · branch · ruler

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — to eat

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