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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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 — a contest
  3. snap — to click
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. stand — on your feet

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