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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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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: cue · rush · race · rock · drill · game · trunk · arm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — a signal

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