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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: stock · rash · chair · lash · track · date · tear · vault

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — goods
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — shares
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — a leader

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