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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stock — shares
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. object — to protest
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — to shout
  12. object — an aim
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — goods
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — the season
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — a thing
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rule — a law

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