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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. game — wild animals
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — a part of something

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