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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — a group
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — to sink
  9. race — the arms race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — to bend

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