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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — low music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. race — humankind
  14. cell — in biology
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — a match
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. deal — an agreement

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