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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 120 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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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: rock · branch · bay · rest · tear · bear · cabinet · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. bear — the animal

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