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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: can · cold · tear · race · ruler · leaves · bear · stock

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. race — humankind
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tear — from crying
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cold — an illness
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — to be able to
  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