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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · pound · tear · hide · ruler · patient · stock · arm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to click
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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