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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: ruler · land · bass · rush · saw · chair · lash · stock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — low music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — goods
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a leader

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