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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
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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: lash · scale · stock · roll · pass · cold · rule · nail

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a list
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — a cake
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rule — government

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