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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — goods
  9. race — the arms race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — shares
  23. race — humankind
  24. tube — in a tire

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