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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: calf · lean · stock · band · stem · fine · rush · perch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. band — a music group
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stock — goods
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — thin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lean — to bend
  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