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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: last · bear · suit · straw · stock · bank · lie · tear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — finally
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — of a river
  9. suit — clothes
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — shares
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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