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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — child
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. race — a contest
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — a company
  16. race — humankind
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rock — music
  21. firm — steady
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — a thrill
  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