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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: tear · hand · suit · mark · kid · toast · stock · lean

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a trace
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — to rip
  9. toast — bread
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kid — child
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lean — thin

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