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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.

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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ground — a position
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rule — government
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. race — humankind
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — an untruth

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