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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: ruler · sharp · race · calf · spring · bound · fan · last

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — final
  3. race — humankind
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. race — a contest
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — tied together
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — certain
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — exactly

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