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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: lie · cue · swing · lean · rule · race · squash · sharp

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — a contest
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — government
  16. swing — to play on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — to recline
  21. race — the arms race
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — clever

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