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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. stock — goods
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a face
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — to rob
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — a weight
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — a song
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a cup

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