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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: craft · march · object · arm · stock · charge · swing · lash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — in control
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stock — goods
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. object — a thing
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — shares

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