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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: mark · lash · lean · stock · craft · bass · board · cabinet

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stock — goods
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — low music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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