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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.

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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: chip · wax · fine · rash · stick · stock · stem · leaves

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — of a tree

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