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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rule — government
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — the time now
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — a law
  23. race — a contest
  24. ball — a dance

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