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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 120 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: mine · stock · wake · racket · leaves · wound · stem · calf

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mine — an explosive

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