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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fall — the season
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — in football
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — in sport

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