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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: stock · net · lie · race · lash · rule · ruler · mark

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — shares
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — government
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rule — a law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stock — goods
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — the arms race

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