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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: charge · rash · lash · ball · bowl · rush · cold · stock

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — goods
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. charge — a price
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — on the skin

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