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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: mine · lash · scale · rush · chip · drill · stock · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — for betting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — hurry
  24. scale — in music

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