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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: ruler · arm · rash · wake · stock · stick · race · branch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — a contest
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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