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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — humankind
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cue — a signal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. race — a contest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. deal — a big deal

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