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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: stock · tear · toast · arm · chest · bass · band · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tear — from crying
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — low music
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chest — of your body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. arm — part of the body

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