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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: wake · roll · stock · craft · last · squash · stem · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — boats
  10. last — final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — the sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — a skill
  23. last — finally
  24. roll — a cake

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