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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stock — shares
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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