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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — for pool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. last — to go on
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bore — to drill
  13. present — the time now
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — a gift

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