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

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mine — for digging
  3. scale — size or range
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. scale — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — a partner

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