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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — a gift
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — final
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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