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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — goods
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stock — shares
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — to rip

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