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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. race — a contest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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