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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 120 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: race · key · rule · bowl · last · rush · face · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. rule — government
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — to go on
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — for a lock
  8. race — the arms race
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — a hint

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