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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — to crush
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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