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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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468
Word bank
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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 help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — the arms race

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