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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mine — for digging

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