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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — hurry
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — a contest
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chest — a box
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to click

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