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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: suit · perch · stock · wake · hand · lash · march · root

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — 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