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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. race — a contest
  3. cue — a hint
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — finally
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. last — to go on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — humankind
  15. cue — for pool
  16. last — final
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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