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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 · pound · rush · swing · lash · cell · rule · mouse

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — shares
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — a law

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