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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: tear · roll · can · stock · rest · suit · bulb · rule

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — in cards
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — from crying
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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