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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — in control
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. race — a contest
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — to point toward

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