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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. race — a contest
  3. snap — to click
  4. firm — steady
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. race — the arms race
  7. squash — the sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. bank — of a river
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. race — humankind
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. squash — to crush
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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