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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — for pool
  8. race — a contest
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. race — the arms race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a match
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. nail — on a finger
  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