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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — the most important part
  4. race — humankind
  5. foot — a measure
  6. race — the arms race
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. foot — part of the body

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