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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. last — final
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — to keep secret

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