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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — to handle
  9. degree — temperature
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bore — to tire
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cue — a hint
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to drill

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