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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — a safe
  7. content — happy
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fall — the season
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stock — goods
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. content — the amount

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