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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: charge · roll · stock · wound · tear · bear · lean · dip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — in control
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stock — goods
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lean — thin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. roll — a list
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wound — an injury

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