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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — a thing
  8. drill — the tool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — army training
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to click
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. race — a contest

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