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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 124 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — music
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. shower — to wash
  7. race — a contest
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — a stone
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. race — humankind
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — rain

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