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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — goods
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — to grow

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