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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tear — to rip
  16. object — an aim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. drill — the tool

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