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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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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 · leaves · present · charge · ruler · stick · hand · mouse

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — a contest
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hand — help
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. charge — in control

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