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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — to bend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wake — a trail
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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