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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — a practice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. tear — to rip
  20. object — a thing
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — of the leg

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