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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. race — a contest
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — humankind

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