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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. object — a thing
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — in cards
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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