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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tear — from crying
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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