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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — humankind
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — of water
  16. cue — a signal
  17. race — a contest
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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