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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: squash · last · leaves · race · hide · game · cabinet · ruler

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — wild animals
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — to crush
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. last — final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — a contest

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