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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a leader
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — to go on
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — finally
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. last — final

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