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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 116 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: squash · stand · stock · dip · wound · tear

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tear — to rip
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares

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