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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. land — a country
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rock — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — ground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. race — a contest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. land — to come down
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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