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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — a publisher
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. date — the fruit

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