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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  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