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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: press · race · trunk · cabinet · mine · chair · arm · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — a contest
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — to push
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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