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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — the arms race
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — humankind
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to click
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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