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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 · lash · fall · sharp · stock · dip · chip · trunk

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fall — the season

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