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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 120 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: rock · clip · foot · stock · plane · lash · content · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. rule — government
  2. stock — goods
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. clip — to cut
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — the amount
  16. clip — a video
  17. rock — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stock — a soup base
  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