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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — a signal
  6. race — humankind
  7. fine — all right
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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