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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — to rip

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