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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: lash · vault · stock · net · bear · rest · bark · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — a break
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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