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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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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hand — in cards
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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