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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cue — for pool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. race — humankind
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — a contest
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. file — a document
  24. lie — an untruth

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