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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chest — of your body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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