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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — a signal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. race — a contest
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — to rip
  12. race — humankind
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a document
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cue — a hint
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — goods
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cue — for pool
  24. file — a tool

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