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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: stock · craft · band · lash · rash · can · snap · cabinet

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — a series
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — on the skin

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