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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — a thing
  3. tear — to rip
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — from crying
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

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