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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · pop · lash · trunk · stock · track · fan · stem

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a path
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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