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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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. squash — to crush
  3. race — the arms race
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — to sink
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — a contest
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to click
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. safe — a strongbox

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