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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — clothes
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cold — not warm
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — for pool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — employees
  17. chest — a box
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cue — a signal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — to fit

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