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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 · craft · season · cold · leaves · track · stock · toast

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. season — in sport
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cold — not warm
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — of the year
  19. track — a song
  20. cold — an illness
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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