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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 116 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: lash · hand · bear · mine · root · sharp · stock · stem

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — goods
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — help
  19. root — of a word
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — shares
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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