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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stock — shares
  5. race — humankind
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. object — a thing
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. object — to protest
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stock — goods
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rush — to hurry

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