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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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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: nail · can · fall · stem · lie · hand · stock · tube

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — the season
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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