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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 · suit · stock · spell · last · leaves · cap · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — goods
  5. last — to go on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — magic
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. last — finally
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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