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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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Word bank
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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: wake · sharp · arm · ruler · roll · stock · kick · hand

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — a trail
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — goods
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stock — a soup base

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