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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · stock · lash · nail · craft · rule · file · cap

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — a lid
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. file — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — goods
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stock — shares
  23. date — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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