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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pop — soda
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pop — music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — goods

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