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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: dip · lie · bore · can · stock · perch · game · stem

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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