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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — humankind
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. game — a match
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. race — a contest
  20. cue — a hint
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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