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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rash — hasty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — the cause
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — a series
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a word
  20. kick — in football
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — of a river

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