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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 120 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: lash · stem · can · press · stock · bark · lean · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stock — shares
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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