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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stock — goods
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bank — for money
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — for measuring

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