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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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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: tear · craft · stock · squash · root · bank · lash · bowl

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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