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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: race · ruler · rash · cue · toast · drill · cap · wake

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. rash — a series
  9. cue — a hint
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — humankind
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. drill — army training

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