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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. race — a contest
  20. cue — a hint
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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