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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 116 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: rock · ruler · row · lash · swing · board · branch · stock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a line
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — to get on
  20. swing — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. branch — of a bank

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