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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — in football
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — goods

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