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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cell — a phone
  5. snap — to click
  6. race — a contest
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cell — in biology
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — an agreement

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