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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · rash · stock · bass · march · cabinet · stick · lash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — a soup base

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