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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 · cold · stock · chip · craft · lash · face · trunk

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — part of the head

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