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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — goods
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — a trace

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