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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: lean · net · rush · mouse · fall · board · stock · dip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — the season
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. board — to get on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — after costs
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — to sink

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