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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. race — humankind

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