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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. date — the fruit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — the arms race
  5. clip — a video
  6. snap — to click
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — a country
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. clip — to cut
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — a contest

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