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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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