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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. race — humankind
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — thin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chip — for betting
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lean — to bend

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