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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — humankind
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — help
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — a contest
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — in sport
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. net — after costs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — goods

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