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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: land · kick · stock · stem · jam · wake · fork · lash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — to come down
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — ground
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lash — an eyelash

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