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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bass — low music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. race — humankind
  9. kid — child
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — a contest
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — thin

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