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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. race — a contest
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — a publisher
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — to push
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — magic
  23. bat — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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