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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — not warm
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. race — a contest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — in music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cold — an illness
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — humankind

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