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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to click
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — to shout
  9. race — humankind
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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