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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: stock · lash · rush · row · stand · prune · foot · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — hurry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — goods
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a line
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. foot — a measure
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — shares
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stand — for spectators

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