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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. key — for a lock

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