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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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