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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — to fit
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. race — the arms race
  19. squash — the sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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