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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. object — a thing
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cap — a lid
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. cap — a hat
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — decided
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. firm — a company
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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