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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stock — goods
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. object — to protest
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tear — from crying
  22. object — a thing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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