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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — of a king
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — a cup
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. court — of law
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — shares
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. court — for sport
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mug — a face
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — to come from

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