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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 124 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — to drop
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fall — the season
  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