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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — humankind
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — to protest
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — a contest

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