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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a hint
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tube — the underground
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spring — of water
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. spring — a coil

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