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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. race — humankind
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a hint
  6. suit — in cards
  7. race — a contest
  8. suit — to fit
  9. charge — in control
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — a price
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rule — government

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