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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. race — a contest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a music group
  22. wind — moving air
  23. net — after costs
  24. band — a ring

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