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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 116 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: file · bowl · tear · firm · stock · lie · kick · track

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. firm — decided
  2. kick — in football
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — a company
  15. file — a document
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — with a leg
  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