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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. race — a contest
  3. bore — to drill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. key — for a lock
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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