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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — newspapers
  5. race — humankind
  6. shower — rain
  7. spring — the season
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — to push
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — a contest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — a publisher
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spring — of water

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