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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rush — a thrill

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