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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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — of the year
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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