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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · leaves · stock · lie · prune · rock · racket · stem

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — goods
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. prune — the fruit

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