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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — tied together
  6. race — humankind
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — for pool
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. last — finally
  12. cue — a hint
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. race — a contest
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a dance

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