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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. key — for a lock
  4. snap — to click
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — a safe
  11. key — in music
  12. face — to confront
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — the most important part
  18. race — a contest
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stem — to come from
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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