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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: rule · trunk · bore · track · wind · stock · staff · tear

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — shares
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — government
  24. tear — to rip

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