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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. race — a contest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a match
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. race — humankind
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — wild animals
  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