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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
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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: kid · wake · lash · hand · craft · bear · field · stock

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — boats
  11. hand — help
  12. kid — child
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — for sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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