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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: object · dip · stock · can · branch · pass · tear · cold

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — shares
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. object — to protest
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stock — goods
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. object — an aim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cold — not warm
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — a tin

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