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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
468
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: safe · trunk · tear · cue · stock · clip · wound · spring

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. clip — to cut
  5. spring — the season
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — a coil
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. clip — a video
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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