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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — humankind
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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