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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. snap — to click
  6. hand — in cards
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. object — to protest
  11. ball — a great time
  12. object — a thing
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. race — a contest
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — help

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