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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · roll · spring · ruler · mark · hide · lash · cold

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. roll — a list
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — of water
  11. cold — an illness
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a grade
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — a coil
  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