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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a ring
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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