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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — a contest
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. object — to protest
  24. race — humankind

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