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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. capital — a city
  4. race — the arms race
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rest — a break
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — out of danger

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