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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 · rash · wave · file · lash · chip · stem · racket

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — for betting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. file — a tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — to eat
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — a series

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