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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — the season
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. race — a contest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mate — a partner
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — of water
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — for pool

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