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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rock — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. race — a contest
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. snap — to click
  24. field — a subject

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