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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. race — humankind
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — an injury

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