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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. race — humankind
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tear — to rip
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to click
  19. race — a contest
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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