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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: mark · foot · root · stock · cap · trunk · row · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cap — of ice
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — to paddle
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — a line

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