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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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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 · cold · stem · safe · wave · mark · pound · fall

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — goods
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fall — to drop

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