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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: bass · stock · sharp · lash · cabinet · mark · rush · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — a division
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — low music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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