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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tear — to rip
  6. roll — a list
  7. band — a ring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — from crying
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. band — a music group
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lean — thin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — magic

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