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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — newspapers
  9. race — a contest
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kid — child
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — boats
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. race — humankind
  24. ruler — a monarch

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