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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 120 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: tear · scale · deal · perch · stock · stem · lash · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — goods
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — in music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — an aim
  20. scale — size or range
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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