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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — humankind
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — a weight

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