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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — humankind
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — to protest
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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