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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: mine · pass · sharp · race · stock · ruler · lean · spring

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spring — of water
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. race — humankind
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — shares
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lean — to bend

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