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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — a trail
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mine — for digging
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. branch — a division
  21. race — a contest
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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