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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ground — a position
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — humankind
  9. clip — a video
  10. ground — crushed
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — a contest

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