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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 120 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: row · stock · face · stem · rush · capital · stick · tear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stem — to come from
  9. row — a line
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — shares
  16. capital — a city
  17. stock — goods
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. face — to confront
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — a big letter

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