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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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