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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 · file · tear · nail · kick · squash · season · row

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — to rip
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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