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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. mine — for digging
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. race — humankind
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spring — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stock — shares
  24. straw — dry grass

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