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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: stem · sharp · firm · season · lash · foot · stock · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stem — to come from
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — decided
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. march — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — in sport
  24. foot — part of the body

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