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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: fall · field · kid · arm · lash · stock · suit · craft

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. craft — a skill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. field — a subject
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stock — shares
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — clothes
  19. craft — boats
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. field — for sport

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