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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — in cards
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — goods
  10. band — a music group
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — in golf
  14. vault — a safe
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. band — a ring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — a soup base

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