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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — goods
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — shares
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — a contest
  17. track — to keep track
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lean — to rest against

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