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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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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: lean · stock · arm · mark · snap · fork · rash · wound

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stock — shares
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — goods
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to click
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rash — a series

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