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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — not warm
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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