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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. race — humankind
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — for golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — a signal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — a contest
  24. lash — an eyelash

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