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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — to recline
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — of the leg

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