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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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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: arm · ruler · race · spring · press · ball · mate · foot

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. press — newspapers
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — to push
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — of water
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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