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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 · object · kid · stem · land · rest · nail · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. bank — for money
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — goods
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — shares
  22. kid — to tease
  23. land — a country
  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