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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. race — a contest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. snap — to click
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. field — for sport
  24. race — humankind

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