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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. race — humankind
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mark — a trace
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spring — a coil
  9. race — a contest
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — rain
  18. spring — of water
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pop — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — a grade

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