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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rash — hasty
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. race — humankind
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bark — to shout
  24. saw — the tool

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