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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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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rash — a series
  7. last — final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — a division
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — goods
  24. tear — from crying

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