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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fan · face · bay · fine · bear · can · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to confront
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — goods
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — the animal

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