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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — ground
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to click
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — a country
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — a big deal

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