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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — a measure
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — bread
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — dry grass
  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