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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. present — there
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a signal

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