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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: press · straw · saw · ruler · ground · file · hand · race

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ground — the earth
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. race — the arms race
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. hand — help
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ground — crushed

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