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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 120 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: ruler · wake · tear · fall · current · stock · season · lie

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. fall — the season
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. season — of the year
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. tear — to rip
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — a trail

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