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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — a grade
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — shares
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — a line
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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