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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stock — goods
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — to come from
  15. object — to protest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. arm — part of the body

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