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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — in football
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to confront
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to point toward

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