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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. object — to protest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — an aim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — a measure
  12. object — a thing
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a football final

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