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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — a contest
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — a country
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — ground
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — to come down

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