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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: race · cabinet · leaves · spring · mine · rash · cue · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — the season
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cue — a signal
  7. race — a contest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — humankind
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — all right
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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