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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — humankind
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — farmland
  15. vault — a safe
  16. field — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — the season
  22. field — a subject
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — a permit

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