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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · race · wound · rock · rule · ruler · hand · bowl

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — humankind
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — a law
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — help
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rock — a stone

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