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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 · stock · roll · shower · race · arm · band · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. band — a ring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. roll — a list

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