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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: stock · season · lean · branch · tube · leaves · tear · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — a container
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — goods
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to rest against
  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