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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: staff · wax · stick · leaves · stock · stem · jam · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wax — to grow
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — goods
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stock — shares
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — a stick
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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