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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rule — government
  12. spring — the season
  13. race — a contest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cue — a hint

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