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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: mark · branch · vault · face · tear · object · stock · rush

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tear — to rip
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. object — to protest
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — goods
  8. tear — from crying
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — hurry
  18. face — to confront
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mark — a trace

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