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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 · lash · bay · kid · fine · spring · craft · ruler

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spring — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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