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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: ruler · lean · mark · sharp · bark · can · tear · stock

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stock — a soup base

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