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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. snap — to click
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a signal
  20. race — humankind
  21. charge — in control
  22. rest — a break
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rest — what's left

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