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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · arm · mark · rush · hand · race · ruler · lie

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — a country
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — a part of something

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