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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — a break
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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