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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bark — to shout
  5. sharp — clever
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to click

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