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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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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: press · row · arm · lash · stem · land · stock · bear

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. land — a country
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — a publisher
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — ground
  21. press — newspapers
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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