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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: stock · plane · pitcher · fine · drill · tear · lie · branch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — a division
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stock — goods
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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