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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. race — a contest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a ring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — the cause
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — to turn a key

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