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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. staff — a stick
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. swing — music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — the arms race

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