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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: leaves · ruler · fan · tear · bass · pop · stock · file

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — to visit
  16. file — a tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pop — soda
  21. file — a document
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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