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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: dip · wound · game · ruler · race · patient · sharp · mark

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — a grade
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mark — a trace

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