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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. last — to go on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. last — final
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — a young animal

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