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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: land · date · stand · fall · clip · current · lash · stock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — a country
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — shares
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — happening now
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — electric
  24. date — the fruit

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