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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — a contest
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — a container
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — in football
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. race — humankind
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — in a tire

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