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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — goods
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to click
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — shares
  15. firm — a company
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. firm — steady
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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