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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stock — goods
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — electric
  13. race — humankind
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — tied together
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — from crying
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — hurry

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