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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: tear · stock · toast · tube · craft · lie · bay · object

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a skill
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — a thing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — to rip

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