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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — in music
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — electric
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cue — a signal
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — a contest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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