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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · fork · wound · lie · rock · bowl · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stock — shares

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