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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — to rip
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — the animal

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