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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — shares
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. track — to keep track
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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