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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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