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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. march — the month
  4. key — in music
  5. march — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — a flat piece

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