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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: bound · bowl · foot · root · present · lash · kick · stock

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — the time now
  3. root — the cause
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — a gift
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. present — there
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — of a plant

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