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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to click
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — soda
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — a contest

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