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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — humankind
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. shower — rain
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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