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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — to breed
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — in sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. race — a contest
  20. season — of the year
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. season — to add flavour

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