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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 120 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 · drill · content · hand · fan · mate · stand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — happy
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — army training
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — the amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mate — a partner

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