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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: rash · mark · wound · stock · saw · key · fan · kick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — in music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — shares
  20. kick — in football
  21. rash — a series
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wound — an injury

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