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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: fall · file · rule · toast · perch · stock · lash · rash

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rule — government
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — goods
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a document
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — bread
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fall — to drop

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