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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 116 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: file · stock · tear · vault · suit · rock · leaves · spring

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — shares
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — goods
  14. tear — to rip
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — to fit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — to move gently

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