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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. row — a line
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. staff — employees
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. file — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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