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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — humankind
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. race — a contest
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — for a hammer

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