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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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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a document
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — goods
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. snap — to click
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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