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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — goods
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to succeed

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