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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. stock — shares
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  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