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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — to handle
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — a contest
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cue — a hint

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