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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — goods
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — shares
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — to come from
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — a stem cell

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