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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — a contest
  7. chip — for betting
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. file — a tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to click
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — in football
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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