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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: spell · rock · scale · lash · stock · current · wound · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — army training
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — letters
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — in music
  24. stock — a soup base

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