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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — the time now
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. snap — to click
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — a gift
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — of a river

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