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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a face
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — high quality
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — the arms race
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a match
  22. race — humankind
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — all right

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