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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. drill — army training
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — a position
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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