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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 · rule · mate · cue · toast · vault · deal · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — government
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — a signal
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. race — humankind
  24. straw — dry grass

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