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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a signal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — there
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — a stone
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rock — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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