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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — goods
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tear — to rip
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — shares
  19. snap — to click
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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