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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. race — the arms race
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — for pool
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — a box
  20. clip — for paper
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mine — for digging

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