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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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