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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. firm — a company
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — steady
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fine — all right
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — decided

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