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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. race — humankind
  4. cue — a hint
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — for pool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — a contest
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — the arms race
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — for sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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