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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stock — shares
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — for a lock

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