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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — a subject
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. field — farmland

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