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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cold — not warm
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — of the year
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rash — hasty

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