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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 116 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: patient · lie · file · fan · stem · fine · stock · rock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — goods
  24. fine — all right

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