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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — to rip
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — a series
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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