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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: cabinet · mark · lash · fine · fan · bore · land · stock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. land — a country
  8. stock — goods
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — ground

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