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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. race — the arms race
  11. snap — to click
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — for pool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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