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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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