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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: mate · spell · stock · march · court · lash · rule · rush

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stock — shares
  6. court — for sport
  7. spell — letters
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — a law
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — goods
  20. march — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lash — to lash out

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