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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · mine · perch · stock · coach · lash · rock · can

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mine — belonging to me

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