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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — the arms race
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — humankind
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. face — to confront
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a path
  15. face — part of the head
  16. last — to go on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — wild animals
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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