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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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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: track · band · fall · stock · object · stem · shower · leaves

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — a path
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — a song
  19. object — a thing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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