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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · stock · fall · mate · rush · fine · rest · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — the season
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — all right
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — shares
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — help
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rest — what's left
  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