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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.

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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: snap · race · rest · rush · mug · stock · cue · lie

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — a contest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — humankind
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — for pool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mug — a cup

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