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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stock — shares
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. present — a gift

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