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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to sink

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