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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cold — not warm
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — a country
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cold — an illness
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — music
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to drill

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