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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.

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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: spring · sharp · mug · kid · race · scale · ruler · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — child
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. race — humankind
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — size or range
  20. race — a contest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kid — to tease

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