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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · hide · stock · fine · cap · patient · mug · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ground — a position
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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