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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — thin
  15. roll — a list
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — the month
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — moving air
  20. row — a line
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cue — a hint
  23. race — a contest
  24. mug — a face

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