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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 120 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: safe · rest · wound · stock · lean · craft · race · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — goods
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — a skill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lean — to bend
  23. race — humankind
  24. stock — shares

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