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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. clip — a video
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. race — the arms race
  15. firm — a company
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. clip — to cut
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — to sink
  24. clip — for paper

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