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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stock — goods
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. race — a contest
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — a partner
  24. race — humankind

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