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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — high quality
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. toast — bread
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — shares
  23. root — the cause
  24. tear — from crying

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