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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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