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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a tool
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — to rob
  11. current — of water
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. race — a contest
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — the month

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