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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — a practice

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