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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · stock · snap · content · branch · wake · scale · stem

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stock — shares

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