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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 116 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: stock · calf · charge · tube · lash · sharp · hand · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. last — to go on
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. last — final
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hand — help
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — finally
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — shares
  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