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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. race — a contest
  3. drill — a practice
  4. race — humankind
  5. drill — army training
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mug — a face
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lean — to bend
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — thin
  22. race — the arms race
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to rest against

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