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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stock — goods
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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