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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. race — the arms race
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — a division
  22. row — a line
  23. race — humankind
  24. ball — a round shape

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