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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: file · rash · chest · object · stem · stock · bear · fine

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — goods
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  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