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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. last — finally
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. last — to go on
  9. staff — employees
  10. rock — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — the arms race
  14. last — final
  15. race — a contest
  16. chest — a box
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — for pool

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