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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: rush · fall · tear · stem · snap · stock · file · can

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — shares
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. file — a document
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — the season
  24. stock — goods

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