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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: fan · net · lash · fall · board · arm · stock · mark

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — the season
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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