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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: stock · wave · mug · firm · capital · fall · stem · rest

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — money
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — the season
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — goods
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — decided

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