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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 · charge · bank · lie · stem · cold · stock · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — shares

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