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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 120 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: lash · rule · scale · stock · current · wake · leaves · march

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — a law
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — of a tree

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