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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bark — to shout
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mark — a grade

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