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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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