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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. court — of law
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — a friend
  17. court — for sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. court — of a king

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