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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. firm — steady
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — boats
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — a trail
  24. craft — a skill

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