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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. object — a thing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — after costs
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. object — an aim
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — in sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — boats
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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