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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — a country
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — humankind
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — a position
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — to come down
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — crushed
  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