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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: lash · fork · straw · craft · stock · stem · deal · toast

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. stock — shares
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. toast — bread
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — boats
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — goods
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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