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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — government
  3. race — humankind
  4. object — a thing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — a contest
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — the fruit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — a law
  24. jam — a tight spot

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