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

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. tear — to rip
  15. race — humankind
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — a contest
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — a sauce

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