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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · file · hand · leaves · kid · root · last · pass

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kid — child
  9. file — a tool
  10. hand — help
  11. root — the cause
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. last — to go on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. file — a document
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — a soup base

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