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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: tube · ground · race · rest · cue · kick · hide · firm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ground — a position
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. race — humankind
  9. firm — decided
  10. kick — in football
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — a contest
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — crushed

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