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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a document
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. rush — a thrill

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