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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rule — a law
  10. mate — a partner
  11. race — a contest
  12. field — a subject
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — a company
  20. race — the arms race
  21. field — for sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — government

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