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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — a position
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — to rip
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stock — shares
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — the earth

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