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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 · sharp · stock · mate · bank · cap · coach · fall

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — goods
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — of ice
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — a partner

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