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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: stock · staff · hide · stem · arm · pop · spring · lash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pop — music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hide — to keep secret

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