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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — for pool
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — employees

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