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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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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: cabinet · safe · squash · lean · spring · bark · stock · tear

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lean — thin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — goods
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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