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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — part of the head
  8. race — humankind
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lean — to bend
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lean — thin
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — a contest
  24. lean — to rest against

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