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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bore — to drill
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. race — a contest
  14. bore — to tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — gave birth

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