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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — for dancing
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — a leader
  11. tear — from crying
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — shares
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — bread

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