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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to click
  7. present — the time now
  8. key — for a lock
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — in music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. present — there
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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