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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. land — ground
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — a country
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. snap — to click
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — for pool
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — with a leg

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