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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. track — a song
  5. degree — from a university
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — the arms race
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. degree — temperature
  15. track — a path
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — electricity

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