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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — steady
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stock — goods

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