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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bear — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — part of the head
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to confront
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stock — goods
  21. face — to point toward
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. race — the arms race

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