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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — steady
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. root — the cause
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — shares
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — a break
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — to recline
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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