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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.

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: tear · face · object · stock · clip · pit · branch · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — to protest
  3. stock — shares
  4. clip — a video
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — for paper
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — a division
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. clip — to cut
  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