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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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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: ruler · stock · lash · ground · rule · bulb · rush · hand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been 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. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — shares
  14. hand — help
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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