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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — a path
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — for weighing

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