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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 · object · nail · can · dip · branch · lash · march

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — a division
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. dip — a sauce

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