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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tear — from crying

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