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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — a path
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — to confront
  14. club — a group
  15. track — a song
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. race — a contest
  24. track — to keep track

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