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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. vault — a safe
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. race — humankind
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. last — to go on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — a contest

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