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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: nail · trunk · pass · fall · rock · rash · mug · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — shares
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — a permit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — on a finger

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