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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a song
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — humankind
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. track — a path
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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