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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — a division
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tear — from crying

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