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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: leaves · stock · rash · rush · mark · lie · tear · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — to rip
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — from crying

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