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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. craft — boats
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. tear — to rip

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