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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — a group
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kick — in football
  16. race — the arms race
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — a signal

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