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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: stock · row · hand · current · lash · stem · bore · fan

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — happening now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — electric
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — shares
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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