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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: face · race · straw · mine · ruler · chip · rush · key

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — humankind
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — in a computer

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