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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  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