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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spring — a coil
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — the season
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — decided
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — steady
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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