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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — humankind
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — a contest
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. last — finally
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — final
  17. scale — size or range
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — the arms race
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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