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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — in cards
  11. shower — rain
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — electricity
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. shower — to wash

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