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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a committee
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. content — the amount
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — help
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. snap — to click
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a path

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