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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — in a road
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. race — a contest
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — for a lock

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