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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · dip · bore · tear · stock · roll · vault · file

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — a cake
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. vault — a safe
  21. tear — to rip
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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