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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: cue · ruler · stock · field · rash · drill · lash · lean

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — army training
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — farmland
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — for sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — a series
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. field — a subject
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stock — a soup base

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