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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 · hand · leaves · lash · rest · tear · date · firm

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — help
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tear — to rip
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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