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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mark — a trace
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pass — a permit
  10. content — happy
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — humankind

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