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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: stick · stock · bear · board · file · kid · wax · stem

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — to get on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — child
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — to grow
  15. file — a document
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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