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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — the arms race
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — the fish
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. race — humankind

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