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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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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: bank · tear · board · trunk · chair · bark · stock · cap

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cap — of ice
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. board — a committee
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — a hat
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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