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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. track — to keep track
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — humankind

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