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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cue — a hint
  3. race — humankind
  4. clip — a video
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — the cause
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — for paper
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — army training
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. clip — to cut
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cue — for pool

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