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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: land · craft · lash · stock · rush · object · stand · dip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — hurry
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. object — to protest
  6. craft — boats
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — a country
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. land — ground
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rush — to hurry

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