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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: present · wound · bark · stem · stock · tube · jam · lie

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stock — shares
  3. tube — a container
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — a gift
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. present — the time now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. stock — goods

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