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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — a contest
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — clever
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. club — a group
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — humankind
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for golf
  22. cell — in biology
  23. squash — the sport
  24. race — the arms race

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