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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. content — happy
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stock — shares
  4. content — the amount
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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