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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — there
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — child
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — goods
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — to rip
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. present — a gift

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