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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — humankind
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — a break
  11. swing — music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. race — a contest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — in golf

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