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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to click
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — a contest
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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