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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: race · can · arm · bark · rest · foot · tear · stock

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. race — a contest
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — goods
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — humankind

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