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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — of a word
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — a division
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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