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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — a contest
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — humankind
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — thin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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