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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: deal · lean · kid · dip · track · stock · saw · ruler

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. kid — child
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — a song
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — goods
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — thin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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