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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — in sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. race — a contest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a great time

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