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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — soda
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pop — music
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chest — a box

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