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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · race · snap · rock · bowl · cue

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — a break

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