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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. present — there
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — a hint
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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