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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: stick · press · can · plane · stock · tear · race · rush

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. can — to be able to
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — a tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. race — the arms race
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — humankind
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — a soup base

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