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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cue — a hint
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — rain
  8. kid — child
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kid — to tease
  23. race — a contest
  24. stem — of a plant

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