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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: rock · kick · drill · fan · stock · lean · rash · firm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. firm — steady
  23. drill — army training
  24. lean — to bend

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