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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — the arms race
  4. clip — to cut
  5. snap — to click
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. clip — a video
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — a contest
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ruler — a monarch

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