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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. race — the arms race
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — for catching
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — humankind
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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