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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — part of the head
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bass — low music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. dip — to sink
  12. race — the arms race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. face — to confront
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — a contest
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — humankind
  24. kick — in football

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