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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rule — a law
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — the arms race
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rush — hurry

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