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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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Word bank
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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: race · fan · mark · last · ruler · content · rash · wake

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — humankind
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. last — finally
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. race — the arms race

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