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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — a contest
  11. cue — a signal
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. perch — the fish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — for a bird

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