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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 120 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 · calf · content · lie · ground · nail · race · rock

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — happy
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. content — the amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — a position
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. race — the arms race
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — humankind
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — an untruth

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