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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — goods
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — shares
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. firm — a company
  24. tear — from crying

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