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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 · march · swing · wake · kick · lash · rock · root

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — in football
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a word
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rock — music

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