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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — wild animals
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — a publisher
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — to push
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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