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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a face
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — a soup base

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