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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — there
  9. foot — a measure
  10. current — electric
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — in football
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — happening now
  24. lie — an untruth

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