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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: lash · spell · row · stock · clip · rash · lean · bear

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — a line
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rash — a series

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