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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. mug — to rob
  9. object — to protest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. object — an aim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. object — a thing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. nail — for a hammer

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