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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — shares
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. can — to be able to

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