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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 · net · last · snap · pass · lash · craft · file

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. last — final
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to click
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — boats
  13. net — after costs
  14. file — a document
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — in sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — finally
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. file — a tool
  24. net — for catching

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