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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — an aim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. object — a thing
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — temperature
  10. race — a contest
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — an amount
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. rest — a break

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