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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: cabinet · cue · race · rule · bulb · cold · current · sharp

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. race — a contest
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cold — not warm
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rule — government
  23. race — humankind
  24. sharp — exactly

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