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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: sharp · lean · stock · trunk · spring · rash · race · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — shares
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — humankind
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spell — letters
  16. stock — goods
  17. sharp — clever
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spring — the season
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. race — a contest

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