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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — help
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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